


Crash - Gillfronds

by ArtisanFlannel



Category: Homestuck, Humanstuck - Fandom
Genre: F/F, Gillfronds - Freeform, Humanstuck, hardcore sweethearts, les8fins - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-12-07 03:34:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11615028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtisanFlannel/pseuds/ArtisanFlannel
Summary: In this Humanstuck AU fic, Aranea and her family decide to go on a vacation to the beach. There, by some miracle, Vriska ends up running into one of her internet friends in the street. A few introductions and a secret handshake later, the Serket siblings are accepted into their group of friends. Both legal and illegal shenanigans ensue.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, a little info before we get started. I’m on vacation with my family for a week. We’re staying at a little house with a fantastic view of the ocean.   
> Now, I have this weird thing where the ocean basically slaps me smack in the face with inspiration.   
> I have about a week left here, so here’s whats gonna happen:  
> I’ll write a chapter of this story every day the entire time I'm here, and just see where it goes.  
> This is a Humanstuck AU, so keep that in mind.  
> Let the games begin ;)
> 
> (UNEDITED)

“Alright ladies, we’re nearly there!” Aranea’s mother said, grinning to herself. The seventeen-year-old looked up from her book for only a few second, but it was enough time to glance out the passenger seat window and see a watery horizon full of sandy beaches and crashing waves. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and looked back down at her book. Behind her, her little sister Vriska rolled down the window. The fourteen-year-old sat on her knees and hung out the side. “Vriska, sit down, you’ll hurt yourself.” her mother scolded, paying more attention to the GPS than anything else.   
“No, I won't, I'm fine!” Her sister replied. Vriska continued leaning out of the car, taking all the sights in. The chilly oceanic wind danced through Aranea’s hair. It ruffled through the pages of the book in her lap. A sigh escaped the girl’s lips. It was no use trying to continue reading now, so she slid the piece of literature into her messenger bag and leaned back. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the glaring sunlight that reflected off the windshield. The girl folded her hands neatly in her lap and examined the passing sights. They had been driving for hours upon hours in seemingly the middle of nowhere. On her left were rolling hills and open fields with one or two people flying kites. On her right was a sleepy town with sparse markets, and an inn here and there. Houses lined small streets, all of which lead down to the beach. Various boats and borders dotted the bay. The teen couldn't help but smile. At first, she was dreading this family outing which her mother had insisted on taking, but with the wind in her hair and the sun streaming through the open car window, she thought it might not be so bad.   
As the car rolled through the town towards the rented house, Aranea’s serene mood was brought to a halt when the car jolted to an abrupt stop. She snapped back to reality as she was caught by her seatbelt from flying into the windshield. Aranea looked up. Her mother was honking at a group of kids which were playing out in the street.   
“OI! YOU KIDS SHOULD STAY OUTTA THE ROAD! I COULD’VE RAN YOU OVER!” She exclaimed, fury lacing her words. Vriska, surprisingly unharmed, leaned out the window further. She wore an inquisitive look, eyeing down the children. Some of the older looking ones waved and apologized, ushering the smaller ones, who looked to be about Vriska’s age, off of the street. Her mother shook her head and began to drive on, but was quickly stopped by Vriska.   
“Hey, mom, hold up-!” she protested. The car stopped.   
“What? What is it? Did I hit one?” she leaned forward to try and see the front of the car.   
“Wh- no! Just- hold on.” Aranea’s sister raised an eyebrow. She seemed surprised.   
“Terezi!?” She shouted out the window. One of the younger children turned around and made eye contact with her.   
“VRISKA!?” The child replied, smiling widely. Vriska grinned like an idiot. Aranea wore a look similar to that of the others in the stranger’s group; a look which could only be described as sheer confusion. Her mother simply looked annoyed. The child, whose name was apparently Terezi, ran up to her sister’s window. They hugged for a few seconds. The girl had fiery red hair and wore red tinted glasses. She had a teal t-shirt and blue jean shorts, with a red hoodie tied around her waist. The hoodie had plush spines down the back and sewn on horns and button eyes on the hood. It looked like it had been decorated by hand. The girls excitedly exchanged a conversation from inside the car but were quickly cut off by her mother once more.   
“Look, we don't have all day!” she said. “Hurry it up, Vris!”   
Vriska looked around the back seat of the car and grabbed a pen. She ripped off the cap with her teeth and spat it into the seat. She grabbed her friend’s arm and scribbled down an address- the address of the house they’d be staying at.   
“I’ll text you, too!” Vriska said, saluting the girl from out the window. Terezi saluted in return. As the car drove off, Vriska sat back down, looking happier than she’d ever looked in her entire life. She rocked back and forth giddily, her blonde and blue hair bouncing on her shoulders.   
“And who was that?” Aranea asked, looking behind her.   
“That was Terezi! We’re RP buddies on Trollian! I knew she lived in Cali, but I had no idea she lived here!” Vriska spoke fondly of her friend. Aranea wasn’t on the internet much when she wasn't doing research or writing a paper, so she didn’t have any internet friends of her own.   
“Well, It’s cool that you girls found each other. It’s also cool that I didn't run her over. Knock some sense into ‘em when you hang out later, alright?” Her mother said, eyes glued to the road. The car turned into the driveway of a decently-sized beach house.   
“Yes, ma’am!” Vriska replied and nodded. The three got out of the car and began unloading. Vriska flew to the trunk first, popping it open and snagging her duffel bag. Her mother came next, grabbing a cooler full of food and various alcoholic drinks and resting it on the pavement. Aranea slid out of her seat. She tucked a stray blonde lock of hair behind her ear and adjusted her glasses, dusting off her pleated blue skirt, she tugged at the cuffs of her white blouse and pulled up her white socks, slipping on her red flats, which she had taken off for the majority of the car ride. When everything was neat and in its place, the teen snuck behind the car, pulled out her own duffel bag, and rolled it inside, messenger bag slung over her shoulder. She rolled her things back to the furthest room in the house. It had the best view of the ocean and even had a small deck. Aranea tossed her bag on the bed, claiming the room as her own. She left her mother the master bedroom, and her sister would have the room with a small TV. If she knew her family at all, she knew that everyone would be happy with their selections. She immediately headed back out to the car to take in whatever else was left. Her mother was laying out pieces of luggage in the driveway, taking them in one by one. Aranea was about to take something in when she spotted her sister up the street a few meters talking to the same group of children from earlier. Vriska was beaming and gesturing wildly to herself and even the house, talking about who knows what. It was as if she had known these kids her entire life. While looking back at the house, Vriska and Aranea made eye contact. Vriska began gesturing her over. Aranea raised an eyebrow. It wasn't every day that Vriska actually wanted to talk to her. Her sister nodded aggressively. Aranea sighed, and nervously approached. She tugged at her collar a bit, trying to look presentable.   
“Guys, this is Aranea, my sister.” Vriska nodded towards her. Aranea put her arms behind her back and stood up straight.   
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” she said with a smile. The girl from earlier, whom she remembered to be named Terezi, chimed in.   
“Oh yeah, forgot you had a sister!” she said. A girl who looked very similar to Terezi gave her a ‘sup?’ nod. She wore similar glasses to her younger counterpart and had the same fiery red hair.   
“That's Latula, TZ’s big sis.” Vriska pointed to her. She then pointed to an albino boy wearing a bright red sweater. His eyes were a similar color, and his skin was about as pale as his white hair. Standing next to him was a younger boy of the same color, only he had gray bags under his own red eyes and wore only black clothing. “Tall one is Kankri, the short one is nubs.” She said. The short one snarled at Vriska, who was grinning evilly. “Fuck off Vriska, it’s Karkat and you know it!” Karkat shouted at her. Kankri held out his hand. Aranea shook it politely.   
“What’s up Kank? Got nothing to say for once?” Latula teased.   
“No, I am simply attempting to analyze our new companions. You see, modern studies show that one can tell more than enough about a person based on how they make a first impression. One can also figure out how a person acts simply based on their clothing and quirks. For example, Miss Aranea Serket dresses in a modern, yet still formal way, telling us that she must have a dominant left brain rather than a right. Another example, because of the way she shook my hand without second thought provides even more evidence that she is a logical thinker, and understands human mechanics and communication fairly well. A third example, even, is the fact that-” Kankri rambled, but was promptly interrupted by another girl in the group. She was fairly muscular and well-built, with ebony skin. She wore pink framed glasses and was adorned with gold piercings and jewelry all over her body. She wore a white t-shirt that was cropped above her stomach and slid down past her shoulders, and was low cut in the back. She had short hair and two impressive braids in the back that hung all the way down to her knees, on which she wore a pair of magenta, baggy, hip-hop style sweats, and bright pink high-topped reeboks.   
“Aye, taller nubs! As much as we are all en-fuckin’-thralled with water-ver this is, we’re kinda in the middle of introductions here.”  
With that, Kankri rolled his eyes, and shut up.   
“Hah, Nice one, Meen’.” another boy said. His hair was slicked back with gel. He wore black jeans and black shoes, with a white t-shirt.The boy had a toothpick hanging out of his mouth.   
“Shut up, Cronus.” The first girl fired back.   
“Okay…” he replied sadly. Aranea raised an eyebrow at the antics. She felt a little out of place.   
“Anyways… That’s Meenah and Cronus.” Vriska stuck her thumb to the boy and girl. Cronus waved sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. Meenah eyed Aranea up and down, arms crossed. She smirked approvingly and held out her hand. She figured it was for a shake, and she held out her own.   
“Alright, ready?” Meenah started. Aranea was taken aback. “Ehm, excuse me?” she replied.   
“Here, watch this.” Meenah hit her hand on her own on the front, then back, then balled her hand into a fist. Aranea did the same. She hit it up, then down, and then on the front. She held her hand in place for a second, but grabbed Aranea’s hand and pulling her forward. She regained her balance and was met with Meenah’s piercing stare.   
“Think you can memorize that?” she asked. Still a bit dazed, Aranea only shook her head no. Meenah let go of her hand and turned to Latula. “Tula, ready?” She held out her hand. Latula grinned and held out her own. “Hella! Let's do it!”   
The pair performed the handshake flawlessly. Aranea watched carefully, remembering each action. It ended with a violent tug on both parties’ ends. They let go and turned to look at Aranea.   
“Just like that, got it?” Latula asked. Meenah shoved her hands in her pockets and shifted her weight. Aranea nodded. She had seen friends perform handshakes similar to this one in movies and in books but had never performed one herself. It was… interesting. And fairly complicated. But the girl was determined to learn.   
“Right, then you have Feferi, Meenah’s little sister, and Eridan, Cronus’s younger brother.” the two siblings each waved. “And that’s it for introductions for now.” Vriska folded her arms. Aranea smiled warmly. “Good to meet you all!” she said, playing with the hem of her skirt.   
An awkward silence ensued but was quickly broken by the sound of a phone ringing. Kankri pulled a flip phone out of his pocket. He listened for a moment and spoke into the receiver.   
“Yes, father. Right away.” Kankri nodded and put it away. “Karkat, Father would like us home soon. Cronus, would you and your sibling like to join us?” He asked. Cronus rolled his eyes.   
“Hell no.” he said plainly. Karkat nodded along. “Yeah, fuck that! I don't want Eridan in our damn house. I see enough of him already during the day…” When Karkat said Eridan’s name, it was laced with spite. Kankri folded his arms. “I believe tonight's meal in question is spaghetti.” With that, Cronus perked up. He cleared his throat. “You know, actually, I think we might be free tonight. Whaddya say, Eri?” he asked his brother, who nodded. Karkat rolled his eyes in defeat.   
“Oh shit, spaghetti!? Can we come?” Latula interjected, genuinely interested.   
“Of course. The more the merrier! I will ask our Father to make extra.” Kankri smiled. Terezi groaned. “What!? But it’s still light out!” she pouted. “Whatever then, you go hungry, I’m gonna eat.” Latula retorted. Terezi pumped her fist in the air. “Yessss!” she hissed victoriously. Feferi poked Meenah’s side. “Hey, I’m going too, ok?” Meenah shrugged. “Sure. Text mom, though, ‘cuz I'm not.” She replied.   
When eating arrangements were all worked out and adults were all notified, they waved goodbye, and four were left. Aranea stood off to the side as Terezi and Vriska caught up with each other. Meenah watched from a distance alongside her.   
“So, how ‘bout I show you around town? Your sister looks pretty occupied.” Meenah asked. Aranea glanced towards the driveway, which was clear of all luggage. She felt bad for leaving her mother to take care of everything, but it was already done. She shrugged.   
“Sure, alright. Why not?”  
Meenah grinned and nodded. “Great. This way.”   
The two girls set off into town.


	2. Chapter 2

“So,” Meenah started, attempting to make conversation. She walked down the street at Aranea’s side, hands shoved in her pockets. Aranea’s arms were pulled behind her back. She had learned a few years ago that walking and standing in this position made her look taller, so that’s just what she did.   
“How long are you staying?”   
“Oh, we’ll be here for around 2 weeks? Yes, that sounds right.” Aranea replied, staring straight ahead. As the pair walked, they passed houses and trails, the ocean in view the whole time.  
“I do have a question, actually.” She added. Meenah looked over at her out of the corner of her eye.   
“Sure, shoot.”   
“Why are you here? You as in, all of you. I thought this was a vacation rental spot?” She asked. Meenah thought about her answer for a moment.   
“Well, Cronus and I live here full-time. My mom owns a store in town, and Cronus’s dad works with her. Kankri comes here to stay with his dad and stepmom every summer, but they live here full-time too. His step sisters, too. Actually, you’ll meet them pretty soon.” She rattled off the names and statuses of all her friends. Aranea listened intently.   
“Let's see… oh, yeah. Latula and her sis live full-time with their mom; a lawyer, I think, but doesn't usually get put on any cases much. The captors come every summer, ‘cuz they own a vacation house. That's how Tula and Tuna met, actually. And… I think Tuna has a little brother? If he does, fucker doesn't get out much. The Megidos immigrated from Japan a few years back and were only met to stay temporarily, but just… never left. Sucks too, ‘cuz Damara is a lil’ hoe. I’m almost positive that she’s given head to every guy in town by now.” Meenah scoffed. Aranea had to look away. It was odd hearing someone discuss something so lewd in such a natural way. No matter how uncomfortable she was, Meenah was too intimidating to stand up to, so she held her tongue.  
“Nitrams own a ranch just east of here, but it's biking distance. The Maryams move around a lot, but usually come back here for a few weeks when they got time. They should be coming home in a few days, actually, so good timing.” Aranea didn’t interrupt, even though Meenah apparently was unaware of the fact that she had no idea who half the people she was talking about were. Meenah seemed like she enjoyed talking about her life, or at least knowing more things than someone else. Aranea couldn't help but be interested. Meenah’s way of telling stories was oddly compelling.   
“Who’s next… aw yeah, fuckin’ Horrus! I have no idea what that guy’s deal is… ugh, make sure to stay away from him… weirdo…” She rolled her eyes but continued.   
“Only one left is Kurloz. He’s mute, and a freaky little shit, but Meulin keeps tellin’ me he’s alright. Water-ver. I mean, he can be kinda cool sometimes. Still, Guy creeps me out a little.” She shrugged. “Anyways, that’s everybody.”   
“Interesting. I assume I'll be meeting these friends of yours soon?”   
“Yeah, mosta’ them are in town now.” she nodded her head towards the top of the hill. Aranea didn't see anything up ahead, but she decided to trust Meenah. As they neared the top of the hill, Aranea kept straining her neck in a futile attempt to get a peek of the other side. Her curiosity got the best of her, and she picked up speed, hurrying to the top. Meenah raised an eyebrow and suppressed a smile at her excitement. She followed suit, breaking into a lazy jog, almost running right into Aranea when she stopped abruptly at the top. She pulled back just in time, skidding to a halt next to her. Aranea had stopped to look upon the little town below her. It was a charming place, placed on a small cliff overlooking the beach. People bustled around the streets, tourists took pictures, residents drove cars in and out of parking lots. A few gray clouds dotted the blue horizon, which had not been there earlier. She cocked her head to the side, taking in the view. In doing so, she didn’t realize that Meenah was already making her way down.   
“Oi, come on! Ain’t got all day.” Meenah scolded. “Yeah, Nevermind, I got as long as I want.” She corrected. Aranea rolled her eyes but caught up regardless.   
“So, where to first?” she asked. Meenah took one hand out of her pocket and pointed to a little corner store across the road.   
“There,” she said. “Megido sisters work there on weekdays. Aw, shit, that means I have to see Damz…” she rolled her eyes. Aranea assumed she was talking about one of her friends- or rather, acquaintances- from earlier. The two girls crossed the street.  
“Annyeonghaseyo~” Meenah exclaimed loudly as she pushed open the door. Aranea caught it on its way back and let herself in. A little bell rang to signify that someone had entered.  
“Meenah, that’s Korean.” a voice replied.   
“Water-ver. Y’all look the same, anywave.”   
Wait a minute.   
Was that a pun?  
Aranea seemed to remember Meenah saying something similar earlier, but had brushed it off as just a slip-up. No, if she had said it twice in one day, it must be on purpose. The puns had nearly distracted her from the blatant rudeness of her reply.  
“Ah,” Aranea spoke up. “Isn't that… racist?”   
The same voice from earlier laughed. A girl, looking to be about her sister’s age, stepped out of a hidden back room carrying a few boxes. She set them down on the checkout counter.   
“Oh, don't mind it. That’s just who she is.” The girl shrugged. It was obvious she wasn't offended by it, so Meenah must do it often.   
Another voice chimed in.   
“アラディア！誰がいるか?” (Aradia! Who is there?) It said.   
“ミーナと見知らぬ人!” (Meenah and a stranger!) She replied.   
“彼女は暑いですか？彼女の名前は何ですか?” (Is she hot? What’s her name?) The second voice asked, sounding intrigued.   
“ダマラ!” (DAMARA!) She shot back in a disapproving tone. She pursed her lips and shook her head, turning to face Meenah and Aranea, an exasperated smile on her lips.  
“Hello, my name is Aradia. And you are…?” Aradia held out her hand. Aranea shook it.   
“Aranea Serket, pleased to meet you.”   
Aradia raised her eyebrows.   
“Hm? I know a Serket.”  
“Oh, it’s probably my younger sister, Vriska.” Aranea tucked her arms behind her back.  
“Yeah, that’d be her… We don't get along very well…” Aradia scratched the back of her head nervously.   
“Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that. I understand that she can be a bit difficult sometimes…”  
As they were talking, Another girl stepped out from the same back room. She snagged a box of cigarettes from the rack behind the counter.   
“ダマラ、これはアレーナです.” (Damara, this is Aranea.) Aradia tugged at her sister’s sleeve, getting her attention. She turned and looked Aranea up and down, grinning.   
“Aranea, this is my sister, Damara.” Aradia introduced her.   
“ねえちゃん, 彼女は熱い!” (Sis, she is hot!) Damara leaned on the counter, chin resting in her palm. She had one eyebrow raised flirtatiously. Aranea folded her arms across her chest uncomfortably. Aradia punched her sister’s shoulder.   
“I’m not sure if I should be worried or not…” Aranea muttered to herself while the siblings quarreled in the background. Meenah took note of her discomfort and stepped in front of the blonde defensively.   
“Oi, how’s about you step off!” Meenah leaned in close to Damara’s face, who’s hands were lighting a cigarette under the table.  
“私は不適切な何かを書くことを意図したが、私はそれをしないことに決めた.” () Damara Raised an eyebrow, took a puff of her cigarette, and blew it in Meenah’s face. Meenah coughed and fanned the smoke away with her hand as Damara laughed, walking away.   
“Yeah, fuck you too, then!” Meenah angrily flipped her off as she closed the door to the back room.   
“ねえ！内部は禁煙です! あなたはそれを支払う必要があります!” (Hey, you're not allowed to smoke inside! And you're gonna have to pay for that!) Aradia called after her, but her attempts were futile. She sighed and turned back to the two visitors.   
“Ah, I'm sorry about that… Can I help you with anything?”  
“Yeah, two iced teas.” Meenah slapped a few dollar bills on the counter.   
“Sure, you know where they are,” Aradia replied, putting the money in the register. She put out a few quarters as change as Meenah went to grab the drinks.   
“So, your sister, does she speak English at all?” Aranea asked.  
“Well, she knows a little bit. She was already my age when we immigrated, so it’s been harder for her to learn.” Aradia locked the register. “But she knows more than she let on. In fact, I'm pretty sure she could have said half that stuff in English if she really wanted to…” Aranea nodded, understanding. It was respectable to want to keep your privacy. Meenah came back and tossed one of the drinks at Aranea, who nearly dropped it. She snagged the quarters from the counter and waved at Aradia.   
“Thanks, Meg. Right, les’ roll.” She held the door open. Aranea waved back at Aradia as well and slid outside.   
“You didn’t have to buy me one.” Aranea insisted, now on their way.   
“Nah man, don't sweat it. Been prawnin’ shit off on eBay all week; I'm fuckin loaded now.” She shrugged. Aranea took note of yet another pun.  
“If you insist…” She sighed, twisting off the cap and taking a sip. Meenah tossed the cap behind her and chugged half the drink in one go. She wiped her chin as she caught the eye of a boy and a girl standing on the corner just ahead of them.   
“Aye, here’s our next stop.” She looked both ways before jogging across the road, Aranea in tow.   
“Yo, Makara!” she exclaimed, getting the attention of the intimidatingly tall boy. He wore a black hoodie with a skeleton torso and arms printed on the front and sleeves, as well as purple jeans and black converse. His hair was black and rather messy, and his skin was a little lighter than Meenah’s. The girl standing next to him turned with his gaze and noticed them approaching.  
“Yooo, my niggy!” Meenah punched his shoulder lightly. “Hows it goin’?”   
The boy smiled and nodded. Meenah nudged Aranea’s shoulder.   
“Kurloz, this is Aranea. She’s visitin’ for a few weeks. Aranea, this is Kurloz and his gillfriend, Meulin.”   
Aranea waved. She remembered Meenah saying something earlier about him being mute, so she didn't question his silence. Kurloz turned to the smiling girl next to him and signed something with his hands. She wore a cleanly ironed green polo shirt and a pleated black skirt, not unlike Aranea’s. She was taken a bit aback by the sight of sign language.   
“Ah, excuse me? Is Meulin deaf, by any chance?” She asked Kurloz. He stopped signing. Meulin seemed confused. Kurloz nodded.   
“I am actually fluent in American sign language.” She said with a sheepish smile.   
“Woah, the fuck?” Meenah exclaimed, surprised. “Shit, Serk, that's… that's pretty cool, actually.”   
Kurloz stepped aside, gesturing to a very confused Meulin.  
‘Hello! My name is Aranea! Pleased to meet you.’ She signed. Meulin got rather excited and smiled brightly.  
‘Hi! Omg, I didn’t know anyone else in town could sign!’ She replied. Kurloz shoved his hands in his pockets.  
‘I’m only visiting, actually. I’ll be here for around two weeks with my mother and sister.’   
‘Aww, well, we should keep in touch! For after you leave!’ Meulin signed in response.  
Aranea nodded. ‘Yes, definitely!’   
‘We were just talking about it was getting pretty overcast, and we were worried it was gonna rain.’ The deaf girl looked at Kurloz, who nodded in agreement.  
‘Here, I'll ask Meenah.’ She turned to look at the other teen.  
“Meenah, they were worried that it might rain later today.”   
Meenah laughed. “Nah, it won't. It never rains here. Fog? Hella. Cloudy? Shit, almost every day. But it never rains.” Kurloz relayed her answer to Meulin, who just shrugged skeptically.   
They finished their conversation and said their goodbyes, as Meulin and Kurloz were heading home for dinner.  
Aranea and Meenah had been trekking around town for about another twenty minutes, just talking about life. They had long since finished their drinks, this time Aranea ensured that Meenah got her garbage in a recycling bin.   
Meenah was in the middle of telling a story when Aranea heard footsteps behind her. She turned around to see a girl in a green Hijab with a mischievous look in her eye following them. She was about to say something, but the mysterious girl held a finger to her lips, silencing her. She noticed the girl had strings of black tattoos along her arms and shoulders, that crossed over her chest as well. She was wearing white capris and green flats with a black tank top. The upper portion of the top was a mesh, likely there to show off the impressive tattoos. Much like Meenah, she wore various piercings on her face. The girl looked trustworthy, so Aranea decided to just watch.   
She observed the girl as she crouched down a bit, ran up behind Meenah, and tugged one of her braids. Aranea snickered. Meenah whipped around, screaming various curses.   
“Who the hell did that!? I swear to cod, I’ll kick your ass!” She rubbed the back of her head, which was apparently sore.   
“And I'm sure you could.” The girl raised an eyebrow and suppressed her laughter.  
“Shit, Porrim! Don't do that!!” She grumbled and punched Porrim’s shoulder. “When did you guys get here!? I thought it’d be a few days!”  
“We just drove in, actually. I saw you and your friend walking by, and I wanted to come say hello. Kanaya is helping our mom unpack now.”   
She spoke with the ghost of a middle-eastern accent. It was charming, to be honest.   
“Well damn, water you doin’ here for!?” Meenah crossed her arms.   
“I wanted to meet your friend! I’m curious, so sue me.”   
“Alright, fine. Serk, this is Porrim. Porrim, this is Aranea. No, she doesn’t live here, she’s on vacation. Capiche?” The girl made things quick when she spoke. Aranea pursed her lips, smiling sheepishly. Porrim put her hands up defensively.   
“Alright, alright. I know where I'm not wanted.” She waved and turned on her heel, heading back.   
“We’ll hang out when you’re not busy.” Meenah added over her shoulder, and they kept on their way. The wind tugged at Aranea’s lose hair as they ended up leaving town and heading towards the rolling hills that overlooked the ocean, which was quickly being overtaken by a thick blanket of fog.   
“The gang likes to hang out here a lot. Me and Cronus used to play capture the flag with the other kids here when we were little.” Meenah gestured to the dry hills in front of them. Aranea listened intently to the many stories she had to tell about beach days and old friends. It was fascinating hearing such things come from someone so… insensitive. They were getting pretty far out now, the town behind them growing smaller and smaller.   
And then it began to rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 2 is done, literally 2 minutes before my deadline. kms.


	3. Chapter 3

It was just a drizzle at first; a few drops of water on Aranea’s back. She disregarded the first pricks of liquid she felt on her skin, passing it off as just the icy chill of the wind. But she felt it again. Faster now, she stopped in her tracks. Meenah did the same. They made eye contact, the same worried expression on their faces. They didn’t need to speak to know what the other was thinking:  
Run.  
As the rain began to pour down, they had nowhere to hide. The girls were so far from town at this point that if they tried to make it back they’d be drenched to the bone. They were stuck out in an open field of grassy hills, without a tree in sight. The sparse bushes that dotted the land wouldn’t offer much cover either.  
Meenah shot off ahead, away from the town, leaping over a dry shrub. She didn’t have a plan, but they wouldn’t get anything done standing around like that.   
Aranea ran after her, her shoes not serving her well in these circumstances. She slipped on the now damp grass but caught herself before she could fall. Meenah urged her to keep going. She gritted her teeth and held her messenger bag high above her head in order to at least attempt to stay dry. Of course, this didn't do much, as she was already soaked. Aranea struggled to keep up with the spunky girl who was about 8 feet ahead of her already.   
As they ran, trying and failing to escape the freezing drops of water pelting them from the sky, they made it over top a hill. Aranea winced as a flash of lightning lit up the dull gray sky, closely followed by a clap of thunder. They needed to get to cover, now. She opened her eyes and peered into the dip between the two hills below to see what was left of an old barn. It wasn't ideal, but it was likely where Meenah was taking them.   
Lost in thought for only a moment, she didn't notice Meenah’s outstretched hand.   
“It’s pretty damn steep, you won’t get down in one piece if ya go alone!” She said over the deafening sound of rain against the dry dirt.   
Aranea hesitantly nodded and took her hand. Meenah gritted her teeth, held Aranea’s hand tight, and slid down the hill. Her body was facing sideways, and her stance was firm enough so that she balanced well. Aranea tried but failed to imitate her form, and ended up stumbling the whole way down. Stumbling was better than falling, so she decided to take what she could get. Upon reaching the bottom of the slope, they kept running. Meenah was first to reach the barn. She grabbed hold of the edge of the sliding door and pulled, but it was stuck in place. She tried again. Nothing.   
“Aye, come help me with this thing!” Meenah called over a crash of thunder. Aranea let her bag fall to her side. She grabbed the side of the door as well.   
“Ready?” Meenah said, tongue sticking out of the side of her mouth.  
“One, two, three!”  
On the count of three, they both pulled hard. The door came loose, sending them both flying into the ground. Meenah stood up and offered Aranea a hand, which she gladly took. They ran inside and closed the door behind them.  
Now moderately safe, the pair could rest. Meenah grabbed the front of her shirt and squeezed the water out of it, creating a puddle on the floor. Aranea sighed; the fabric of her blouse wouldn’t let go of the water as easily, so she’d just have to live with being damp for the time being. Meenah arched her back and cracked her knuckles, looking around the barn. It was dusty and obviously had been out of commission for some time. Dust covered every surface, attacking Aranea’s allergies to no end. She covered her face with her sleeve to stop from sneezing so much.  
“So, what was it you were saying earlier about how it ‘never rains?’” Aranea raised her eyebrow and said from behind her sleeve.  
“Whale it's the middle of goddamn July! How was I ‘sposed to know it’d start pouring buckets outta nowhere!” Meenah retorted, using her slightly drier shirt to wipe the water from her face.   
“You’re implying that you knew that it, in fact, does rain here, when I’m fairly sure I remember you explicitly saying that, and I quote: ‘It never rains here!’” She snapped back, straightening her back in an attempt to look more intimidating.   
“An’ it doesn't! It has dolphinately never rained here in fuckin’ July!”  
“Was that a pun?” Aranea finally questioned.   
“What?”   
“I said: Was. That. A. Pun.”   
“Fuck yeah it was, you got a problem?” Meenah’s fun demeanor changed to serious defensiveness.  
“Yes, actually, I do! You’ve got me stuck out in the middle of nowhere, with someone I barely know, in the middle of a surprise thunderstorm!” Aranea pulled out her phone and dialed her mother’s number. “My mother is probably worried sick! She has no idea where I am! Oh god, I hope Vriska got somewhere safe- I just left her there, in town!” She rambled as the phone canceled the call. Aranea checked the bars, and she had no service. She pursed her lips and growled.  
“My cod- clam the shell down!” Meenah rolled her eyes, laying the puns on thick. It was a stretch at this point. Her puns were usually worked into her daily life in a clever manner, but now she was just doing it to piss Aranea off. And it was working. She whipped around, fists balled up so tight at her sides that her knuckles were turning white, and glared at Meenah. If looks could kill, Meenah would be dead where she stood.   
“This is not the time for puns! In the all of two hours I've been talking to you, I've been in some of the most uncomfortable situations I think I've ever been in in my entire life!”   
“Oh yeah?” Meenah was unmoved. “I find that hard to sea-lieve.”  
Aranea disregarded the pun.  
“Yes! In fact, in less than a day, I've already come to the conclusion that you- as well as this entire town- are completely insane! Everyone here is so unbelievably insensitive to the ways of basic human interaction! It’s painful to watch you even try and communicate with others! You act like such an awful person so often that I have trouble believing that you even know how to act any other way!” She ranted in a flurry of aggressive hand gestures.   
“Well, maybe, everyone here is normal, and you’re just fuckin’ boring!”  
Aranea seemed offended by this remark.   
“Wh- I can assure you that I am not boring!”  
“I dunno, sounds a lot like somefin a boring person would say.” Meenah took off her glasses and wiped the drops of rain off the lenses with her hem of her shirt. Aranea growled again.   
“You are by far the most unreasonable, irrational, insensitive, impossible person I have ever met!”   
“I’m shore I am.” Meenah shifted her weight and put her glasses back on the bridge of her nose. She pulled out her phone from her pocket and wiped the screen. She made herself busy to hide the fact that Aranea’s insults actually stung a bit. “What’s your number?” She added.   
“Don't try to change the subject!” Aranea spat, grabbing her own cell phone from her pocket and shoving it into Meenah’s hand. “I’m not done with you yet!”   
“Alright, keep going, then.” She shrugged and sighed, a smile gracing her lips as she input Aranea’s number into her cell, and vice versa. In the midst of her rage, Aranea forgot what she was going to say, so she just snatched her phone back and stormed off. She sat herself down in the farthest corner of the barn, under the safety of the second story of the trashed building. A rickety ladder lead up to the second story, which was likely used to store tools or food. Meenah sighed silently and made her way up, laying down on the splintering wood. She folded her arms behind her head and crossed one leg over the other. Meenah stared out a crack in the ceiling, watching the occasional bolt of lightning light up the sky. She closed her eyes and tried not to think too much about the argument that had taken place not even five minutes ago, and eventually fell asleep to the sound of rain against the roof.

***

“Is she not with Vriska’s sister anymore?” Latula said over the phone.   
“No, we actually don't know where Aranea is either.” Terezi replied. Latula looked at the others in the room and shook her head. “No luck.” she told them.   
“Alright, well, let us know if anything turns up. You two promise you won’t leave the Serket’s place?”  
“Yeah, we’re good chilling here.” Terezi and Vriska had gone inside when it started raining. They had been hanging out in the driveway ever since the others left, so had no trouble finding shelter. Mr. Vantas and Ms. Leijon were more than happy to house the army of teens and young adults, who were already there for dinner. In the end, Latula, Kankri, Karkat, Eridan, Cronus, Nepeta, Meulin, Kurloz, and Feferi had holed themselves up in the house together, with parental consent, of course. It’s not like it was safe to go anywhere in the storm anyway, so there wasn't much they could do about it. They had gotten in contact with their other friends, and everyone and their respective siblings were safe and at home.   
Except for Aranea and Meenah, who were both nowhere to be found. Mr. Vantas called the other families in the neighborhood, who said they’d keep an eye out for them.   
Ms. Peixes trusted that Meenah would be fine, but she couldn't speak for her friend. They were unsure if this was because of her cold, uncaring nature or actual faith in her child. Either way, knowing her, the teens agreed that Meenah would likely be alright. If Aranea was with her, she’d probably be fine too. This settled their worries a bit and allowed them to go to sleep adorned in borrowed clothes and warm blankets.   
Deep down, the adults were more worried than any of the numerous children. Maybe it was parental instinct, but they didn't feel good knowing that there were two kids lost in a deadly storm in the middle of the night. Still, they put their trust in the two girls. They couldn’t send out a search party until the storm passed anyway, so eventually they, too, fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a little short, sorry about that! pretty angsty, too. I was busy today, and didn't have much time to write. Tomorrow's will be more light and fun, I promise!


	4. Chapter 4

“Serk.” Meenah prodded. Aranea did not answer. “Yo, Serk!” She tried again. Still, there was no response.   
“SERK!!”   
Aranea popped one eye open to see Meenah… hanging from the ceiling? No, wait. They were in a barn, and Meenah was just hanging upside- down on the second floor. She sat up straight and blinked the sleep out of her eyes, looking around. Daylight streamed through the cracks in the roof, signifying that they had made it through the storm. At least that was a good sign.   
“Geez, heavy sleeper much? I’ve been callin’ you for like, five minutes.” Meenah rolled her eyes, catching her glasses as they fell from her face. Her braids hung down so long, they were halfway to the floor.  
Aranea stretched her back and stood up. An old wooden floor wasn't ideal for sleeping on, but there was no going back now. She noticed her shirt had mostly dried as she brushed herself off. Dust danced on the beams of sunlight streaming through the walls and ceiling. Aranea sneezed, accidentally inhaling a big cloud of it.   
“Maybe I wouldn’t have been such a heavy sleeper if we weren’t stuck out in an old barn all night because somebody swore that it never rained.”   
Meenah scoffed. “Cod- it was one time! I can’t control the whether, Serk.”   
She hopped down from the second floor and strolled over to the sliding door, shoving it open with brute force. Aranea had to shade her eyes from the blinding white light coming from outside. The sun had already burnt away all the remaining cloud cover, not to mention the dry grassy hills reflected like a bitch. Something in the distance caught Meenah’s attention. She smiled and bolted out of the barn. Aranea muttered curses under her breath but strolled after her.   
Meenah was waving frantically to something on top of a hill. It looked like someone riding a horse. The teen could barely make out the rider looking over at her and waving back. She grinned as the horse changed direction, heading right for them.   
As the other person rode closer, Aranea could start to make out features. Black hair, dyed firetruck red on the tips. He looked to be Puerto-Rican in skin tone. He wore a red shirt with a black vest over top. The horse was chestnut in color with a near black mane. The rider rode up close to the two of them.  
“Ladies, what’re you two doin’ all the way out here?” He said, with only traces of a Dominican accent.   
“We mighta gotten caught up in the storm and stayed in your pop’s old barn…?” Meenah answered. The rider raised an eyebrow.   
“Damn. lucky it didn't blow over. The police told everyone to stay away from that place, like, last year, ‘cause of safety hazards…”   
Aranea crossed her arms tight over her chest. Meenah hadn’t told her it was dangerous.   
“Yeah, I remember. But hey, everything turned out alright, right?”   
“Guess so. Hey, so who’s this?” He nodded towards Aranea, who was suddenly more interested in her shoes than anything else.   
“Oh yeah. This is Aranea. Aranea, this is Rufioh. He’s the one that owns a ranch, like, somewhere that way.” she lazily gestured to the direction of the hills. Aranea nodded silently in response.   
“Is she st-” Rufioh started but was immediately interrupted by Meenah.  
“No, she’s on vacation for a few weeks.”   
He nodded. The horse stamped its foot impatiently.  
“So who’s this?” Meenah asked, holding her hand out to the animal’s head.   
“Oh, this is Tink. We had to bring ‘em all in last night, so we’re runnin’ ‘em around today to make up for it. She’s probably ready to head back in for breakfast, though.” He shrugged.  
“Well go then! Tell Tav that me ‘n Fef said hey.” Meenah waved him off.   
“You sure, doll? I can give you two a ride back to town if you want.”   
“Nah, we’re all good. Catch up later?” She shoved her hands in her pockets, a something Meenah seemed to do often, Aranea noticed.  
“Alright, yeah. See ya. Nice meeting you, Aranea.” Rufioh waved and galloped away.   
Meenah watched him go for a moment, but soon forced herself to start walking.   
“C’mon, Serk. We’re burnin’ daylight if we keep dickin’ around like that.”   
“I took no part in that conversation.” She retorted, following Meenah through the fields.   
“Whale I can’t kelp if I see one a’ my friends come by! Wasn’t my fault he just happened to be riding that way.”  
The two continued on their way in an awkward silence; the sound of their footsteps crunching dry grass was the only noise filling the empty void of sound. It was a long trek back to town, but they made it in under a half hour. Aranea was relieved to see the rooftops of the town poke over the hills, and even more relieved to walk along a marked trail rather than open fields of nothingness. They reached civilization by around 10:45, according to their cell phones, which at this point barely held any charge.   
“So, who’s place first?” Meenah asked, breaking the silence.   
“Well it’s not like I know my way around town well enough to get myself home in one piece on my own.” Aranea hissed aggressively in response, obviously still upset.   
“Jesus, what do I gotta do!?” Meenah ran a hand through whatever hair she could, nearly pulling it out. “I got you there, made a mistake, got us out of the rain, and got us home! There’s only so much shit a gill can do, okay? Sorry I can't meet your every demand…” She crossed her arms and looked to her right, the opposite direction to where Aranea was standing. Meenah twirled one of her rings on her finger to give her something else to focus on. Aranea just stared straight ahead.   
“Your place it is then...” Meenah muttered under her breaths, mostly to herself.   
They kept trekking through the streets until they reached the quieter side of town where Aranea was staying. They reached the little house that overlooked the bay and knocked on the door twice. Fumbling could be heard from the other side. The sound of someone pulling aside a curtain aside, then pulling it closed once more were followed by a shout.  
“Mo-om! Aranea’s home!” A young Serket girl bellowed.   
“What!? Open the door, then!” A much older Serket responded. The lock clicked open, and Vriska stood in the doorway. A young Pyrope stood behind her.   
“And just where have you two been?” Vriska sneered cockily. Aranea’s snappy demeanor changed to a bashful one. She seemed fearful or worried.   
“Got caught up in the storm, had to stay the night in the Nitrams’ old barn.” Meenah shrugged, trying to act like it was no big deal.  
“Oh shit!” Terezi raised her eyebrows. “Hah, I told ‘Tula that you wouldn’t die!”   
“Oh yeah, how is everybody!” Meenah shifted her weight.   
“They were gonna send out a search party if you guys didn’t come back tonight! It was fucking wild!”   
In that moment, Terezi sounded exactly like her sister. It was strange how much like her she was turning out to be.  
“Well, that’s good to hear. If everything is tentacool at castle Serket, then you an’ I should head out.” Meenah stuck her thumb towards the street.  
“Yeah, it's all good here. Thanks for not letting my sister die!” Vriska teased, waving to Terezi.   
“As if…” Aranea muttered under her breath.  
As Meenah walked away with Terezi at her side, she looked back only once. In that moment, she made eye contact with Aranea. Her eyes were full of spite, so much so that Meenah had to turn her head back. 

“So how was sleeping in the barn?” Terezi asked, nearly skipping down the sidewalk.   
“Dusty. Crusty. Kinda shit, but whaddya’ expect?”   
“Yeah, that’s understandable. How about Serket squared?”   
“She-” Meenah started, trying to find a way to describe her.   
“Whale, she’s… she’s different. She’s hard to get to.”   
She didn’t know what it was, but there was something about Aranea that was so compelling; something that made her want Aranea to want to be her friend.   
“Wait, was she an asshole or something?” Terezi responded.   
“Nah, not reely. Just fed up, I guess.”   
“Oh, I get it.”   
“Yeah?” Meenah looked down at her.”  
“Yeah, I think. Well, I think she was a dick because she doesn’t really trust you yet, and she’s trying to see how you react to all her different sides! That’s what Vriska did, anyway.” Terezi shot off like it was nothing. Meenah snickered and ruffled the teen’s already messy hair.   
“Shit, TZ, I swear you get older every day.”   
Terezi laughed. The two made it to the Vantas-Leijon residence in record time, where Meenah was nearly pummeled by Latula.   
“God damn, girl! I thought you were a goner!”   
A tsunami of teens and young adults flooded out the door, firing off questions. Meenah scratched the back of her neck and tried to answer them all one by one, but soon got lost in a dogpile of kids.   
Soon enough, everyone headed home. Meenah and Feferi got home, their mother not really caring about last night’s events. The eldest Peixes sibling flopped on her bed and plugged in her phone. She scrolled through her contacts, and selected the one labeled “Serk girl alpha.” Her thumb hovered over the call button for what seemed like ages, until she decided to call it, and just laid down to take a nap. 

***

Days passed. Soon enough, a week had gone by with little to no contact. One day, while reading on her deck, Aranea received a text message. It was from a contact named ‘Fish Bitch.’ She had no idea how it had gotten there, so she looked at the text message to try and figure it out. Upon further inspection, She realized that she was invited to a group chat with multiple unknown contacts.   
‘Excuse me, but who is this?’ She messaged.  
‘Meenah + some other fuckos’ The contacts labeled ‘Fish Bitch’ replied.   
The first text was inviting her as well as the other contacts to a beach day, siblings allowed. After getting the names of the other contacts and responding accordingly, Aranea hesitantly obliged. Based on her last encounter with Meenah, she was less than thrilled to be out and about with her again. Nonetheless, she thought it’d be good to get out of the house again.   
Aranea got changed into her bathing suit and a cover up; nothing special. She also decided to wear a wide-brimmed hat, as it was a particularly sunny day. 

She and Vriska made it to the meeting spot at the exact time they were supposed to, much to Vriska’s dismay, who wanted to finish her episode of parks and rec. At the spot, Aranea recognized most of the faced. Meenah, of course, her sister, Latula, Terezi, Kankri, Karkat (surprisingly enough,) And a new boy which she had never seen before. He had messy dirty blonde hair that covered most of his brown eyes and wore black and yellow striped swimming trunks with an equally as yellow rash guard. He clung to Latula’s side like a barnacle.   
“Alright, everyone here?” Latula looked at the other teens.   
“Yeah!!” the boy at her side exclaimed giddily. He spoke with a lisp. Whenever he opened his mouth, Aranea could see bright red and blue braces on his teeth.   
“But, who’s she?” He pointed aggressively at Aranea.   
“Oh yeah, I forgot! Tuna, why don't you introduce yourself?” Latula nodded towards her and her sister.   
“Okay!”   
The boy strolled up to Aranea and stood relatively close to her. A little too close for comfort. She backed away about half a step.  
“Hi! I’m Mituna Captor! Tulip is my girlfriend!” Latula smiled a little at this statement.  
Aranea could tell something about him… wasn’t right. The way he acted wasn’t normal.   
“Yeah man, we know. You announce it, like, every five seconds, geez…” Meenah rolled her eyes, sounding annoyed. Latula’s light smile fell. She turned her attention back to the two of them.  
Aranea shook Mituna’s outstretched hand.   
“Really?”   
“Yeah!! She’s really pretty!”   
“I bet she feels lucky to have you. My name is Aranea Serket.”   
Latula smiled again. Aranea was happy that she had caught on quick. She could’ve sworn she had heard someone mutter “Annoying” under their breath.  
“Do you have a girlfriend?” Mituna asked like it was the most normal question in the world.  
“No, actually, I don't, but it’d be nice if I did.” Aranea smiled knowingly. The others in the group looked relieved that she wasn’t weirded out by Mituna’s up-front nature.   
“Well, you're nice! I bet you could get a girlfriend easy!”   
“Hah, that’s nice of you to say.” She nodded her head and watched Meenah roll her eyes impatiently in her peripheral vision.   
“Alright tuna, let's go to the beach, yeah?” Latula intervened.   
“Yeah!!” He replied, full of excitement, and ran down to the trail. The rest of the group followed, filing in in groups of two or three. Aranea ended up next to Latula.   
“Thanks for that. He likes to be forward about stuff like that…” she said sheepishly.   
“Of course. I think it’s charming.” Aranea responded, adjusting the strap of her messenger bag. “So, I apologize if I offend, but…” Aranea ended up trailing off in her search for words.   
“No no, it's alright.” Latula finished for her. “Yeah, he’s on the spectrum. But he’s my little bumble bee, and I love him.”   
“You’re very kind to be so understanding of people. I can see how a relationship like that could be difficult at times.” Aranea nodded.   
“Yeah. We get a kick outta his antics, though. He can't swim either, so we gotta give him his water wings every time we go swim.” She patted her side bag to show that she was carrying the wings. “Can’t go anywhere alone, either.”   
“And… about Meenah?”   
Latula pursed her lips, looking to the side.   
“Well, Meenah’s great. She’s fun, and we always have a good time when we hang out, but… She’s difficult. She doesn’t adjust well, and she’s very stuck to her morals. She acts tough a lot of the time, I think because she’s had it rough. Her mom never cared; I know that much. Always focused on the company. She was the real one who raised her sister, and I think she raised her in the image of someone better than herself. She acts so high and mighty because she just… feels like ass… 24/7.”   
Aranea listened carefully, churning the redhead’s words over and over in her head.   
“But I shouldn’t be the one telling you all this. Let’s just say that she’s having a rough time working things out, and we’re all trying to go easy.”   
Aranea nodded.   
“I guess… But that’s no reason to be so insensitive.”  
“I know, you’re right. None of us had really had any luck getting through to her. Maybe you should give it a shot? I dunno. Just something to think about.” Latula shrugged.   
“Tulip!!” Mituna shouted from the bottom of the steps. He was already at the beach.   
“Yeah babe!?” Latula called in response.   
“I need wings!!” He replied, flapping his arms in the air.   
“Hey, I gotta go. Thanks for not being a dick.” She waved to Aranea and hurried down the steps.   
“Yeah, I'm comin’!”

Finally at the beach, Aranea found a good spot on the sand to sit and read. Karkat was wearing a pair of swimming trunks, a sight Aranea thought she’d never see. They were a dark shade of gray, naturally. Kankri’s trunks were similar in pattern, only in a shade of red. Latula wore a teal two-piece with a slightly lighter teal rash guard. Her sister’s bathing suit was… exactly the same, minus the rash guard. Feferi sported a frilly magenta tankini and a tasteful sheer blue and green skirt. Meenah’s suit was nothing like her sisters; she wore Pink board shorts and a black bikini top. All her jewelry was still there for some reason, and instead of her usual pink framed glasses, she wore pink-tinted goggles. Vriska’s suit was… revealing, but who was Aranea to judge. She was adorned in a black bikini. It wasn’t anything special, really. Vriska wasn’t much for looks outside of her large roleplaying cosplay events.

Karkat immediately retreated to the tidepools.   
“Awwe, Karklez made a friend!” Terezi squealed, looking over his shoulder.   
“Shut fuck up, it's just a goddamn crab! God, it’s not like I hard-targeted for him or anything, He was just… there!”   
“Oh my god, you called it him!” Terezi completely ignored Karkat’s previous statements. “What’d you name it!?”   
“I didn't name him…” He muttered.  
“Oh, you so did!”  
“Absolutely fucking not! I can assure you and your stupidly persistent ass that I did not name this crab!” Karkat snapped.  
“Oh, you liar!” Feferi added, who was joining the fun.   
“Fuck off! I didn’t name him!”  
“Yes, you so did! I can see it on your face!” Terezi stuck out her tongue playfully.  
“Bullshit! You can only see in shades of green and blue anyway, so why fucking bother!” He held the crab in his hands defensively, pulling it away from Terezi. Unfortunately, Feferi was on the other side of him, waiting to strike. She poked the creature, watching it scuttle around in his hands.   
“First of all, ouch, that’s rude, but not wrong. I can see in shades of blue, green, and little bitch.” Terezi joked.   
“What’d you name it? Is it like… Oh, it’s gotta be something basic, like John, or Dave!” Feferi added.  
“Fuck no! Those are both stupid names! Only a 19th century idiot would name their kid something shitty like that anymore.” he growled at Feferi, who giggled in response. “Oh yeah?” he turned back to Terezi. “Then what color am I, oh great seer of the fucking universe.”   
Terezi pondered the question, scratching her chin dramatically. “Hmm.. I'd say you’re a… a desaturated asshole!” she snickered.   
“Karkat, please put the crustacean down, as Meenah would like us all for a game of ‘hide-and-go-seek’ among the rock formations.” Kankri walked over and announced before turning to Terezi. He cleared his throat.  
“As persons affected with albinism, my brother and I find the term ‘desaturated’ to be offensive. I understand that you were only attempting to make a joke, but please refrain from using the term in the future, as others with our condition may not be as understanding as-”   
Kankri was interrupted by an exasperated Karkat.  
“Move aside, tallass. News flash, no one gives two fat flying fucks.” He threw his hands up in the air and stormed over to the rocks where the other teens were waiting. Terezi and Feferi were already way ahead of him. Kankri sighed and made his way to where Aranea was still reading in the shade.  
“Aranea, I've arrived to inform you that Meenah has requested your attendance to a game of ‘hide-and-go-seek.’ If you’ll just follow me this way-”  
He was interrupted once again.  
“No thank you, I'd rather just stay here.” she waved him off.   
“Your hesitance is understandable, but I suggest you take part. Despite its childish nature, the game can be quite enjoyable.”  
She didn’t want to put up much of a fight for fear that she’d have to sit through another speech. She marked her page and put her book down, standing up.   
“Alright, fine.”   
“Wonderful, right this way.”   
He lead her to a spot where the others had gathered.   
“Alright, now that everyone’s here, the rules:” Meenah began, addressing the whole group.  
“Hide wherever the fuck you want. Literally no restrictions. If someone seas you, yer out. None a that ‘I-gotta-tag-you-first’ shit around here. Don’t go in a place you might die in. that’d be bad. If you find an animal, get the fuck away from it. There are snakes are sometimes.”  
Aranea thought it was odd that no one questioned the snakes. Then again, they had lived here their whole lives, and she had only been here a week.  
“Don't be a snitch. Snitches get stitches. Also, if you are, yer just an asshole. No kelpin’ other people hide. Gotta do it yershellf. Got it? Good. Any questions? No? Good. You have twenty seconds.” Meenah announced. With that, the teens shot off to the rocks to hide.

As the sun went down, the day was coming to a close. They had had a few successful round of hide and seek, and it was time to head back. They all gathered their things and filed back up the steps. This time, Aranea got stuck in the back with Meenah.  
“So,” she initiated the conversation.   
“So.” Meenah repeated.   
Silence followed.   
“Are we gonna talk about anything or just walk?” Meenah kept staring forward.  
“I don't know, to be honest.” Aranea did the same, not wanting to make eye contact anyway.  
More silence.  
“How about we just… forget about the whole storm night?” Aranea suggested. Meenah bit the inside of her cheek.   
“I mean, shore. I don't mind.” she shrugged, acting aloof. Aranea raised an eyebrow, repressing a smile.  
“As long as you’ll stop making those god-awful puns.”   
“What!?” Meenah snapped to attention, dropping her facade.   
“Shell no! My puns are fuckin’ awesome.” She grinned. “Plus, I don't think I could stop if I tried. It's… kind of a problem.”  
Aranea couldn’t help but giggle.   
“Fine. So… consider it forgotten.” She tucked a blonde lock of hair behind her ear.   
“Shit, works for me.”   
They continued up the steps, making small talk.   
“So, I have a question.” Aranea started.  
“Shoot.” Meenah cracked her knuckles.   
“Why do you act the way you do?” She took a chance and looked over at the girl. “I mean, you can’t possibly be as mean as you let on. You’re better than that.”   
Meenah paused before answering.  
“I dunno, maybe I am. Maybe I'm just an asshole. Maybe I’m big, mean Meenah, here to wreck your shit. Maybe I just don't care enough about fucking anything to actually be a decent person. Sometimes people are assholes and can't be helped, Serk. Maybe I’m just one of those people.” She shoved her hands deep in her pockets like she was trying to recede into a shell. Aranea pursed her lips and walked a little closer.   
“I don’t think you’re like that. I don’t think anyone is truly like that. No one is mean without a reason. Whatever your reason is, you don't have to tell me, but…” She folded her arms behind her back.   
“A mean person wouldn’t show the new girl around the neighborhood, buy her a drink, then proceed to introduce her to each and every one of their friends.”   
Meenah avoided her gaze, still receding into her shell.   
By that time, They had reached the top of the stairs, and everyone was ready to walk home. Latula offered to walk the Serkets back to their place, as they were already headed in the same direction. As Meenah started to walk away, she turned around for just a moment. She made eye contact with Aranea for a fraction of a second, but in that second, she saw warmth. She saw a smiling face she never thought she deserved to see again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you listen close, you can hear the author SCREAM AS SHE WRITES THIS SHIT AT FOUR AM
> 
> BIG FUCKING MOOD


	5. Taking a Quick Break

No chapter tonight. I'm taking a quick break to ensure quality chapters over quantity.

also, I ended up pulling an all nighter for last night's chapter, and if you've read the monstrosity that is my demonstuck x reader: Vriska chapter, you know how well that goes.

Anyways, I felt like hell all day, and just couldn't focus enough to write anything decent, so I'll get back on it tomorrow, pushing everything back by one day. 

That is all. see you guys tomorrow!


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as I wrote this chapter, I found out about a thing called welcome to night vale, which is fucking radical let me tell you. I listened to it while I wrote, and holy shit, consider my mind seriously fucked with.  
> ya'll should go check it out, like, now. I promise you wont be disappointed.

A couple of days and insomnia-driven, late-night text conversations later, the Serkets were nearing the end of their trip. Aranea started for the door, messenger bag in hand.  
“I’m going out, but I'll be back!” She called over her shoulder, clicking open the lock and turning the handle. She didn’t have any sort of destination in mind, but she was almost positive that someone would be out and about.  
“No, you’re not.” Her mother replied from her bedroom. Aranea stopped in her tracks and turned around. Vriska, who was browsing her laptop on the couch, looked up. She seemed a bit surprised.  
“Wait, why?” Aranea replied, rather confused. She had never had a problem with her going the entirety of the trip, so what was so different about today?  
“Because I said so!” Her mother snapped in response, standing in her bedroom’s doorway. “You’re always out and about this week, you never spend time with us anymore! This is supposed to be a family vacation, and I've barely seen you!”  
Aranea was dumbfounded. A spark of something like rage or spite ignited in her chest.  
“Like you would care!” She spat, locking eyes with her mother.  
“Excuse me!?” Her mother responded. She sounded offended.  
“I was missing two weeks ago! From what I can tell, you didn't even try to look for me! You didn't call, you didn't text! You barely said anything when I came back unharmed! So forgive me if I have trouble believing that you actually care about spending time with your children!” She hissed, her grip on the door handle tightening until her knuckles became white. She saw Vriska purse her lips and puff out her cheeks from her peripheral vision. Before her mother could respond, she erupted again.  
“Additionally, you never get upset when Vriska goes out! And she leaves much more often than I do!”  
Vriska now sunk lower into the couch, becoming more interested in whatever was on her laptop. She had always been the more expressive, rebellious one out of the two sisters.  
“I’m finally getting out of the house and meeting new people, and only now do you start to care!? Mother, I have lived my entire life cooped up inside, reading books and writing reports until my eyes stung! I don't want to just be that nerdy girl with her nose stuck in a book all day, who missed the world going by because she was too busy analyzing whatever new stupid obsession she managed to occupy herself with!”  
Her mother was fuming. She snarled as she approached Aranea.  
“Young lady, I don’t think you know who you’re talking to! The way you’re speaking to me will not be tolerated in this household, nor will it ever be!” Her mother slammed her hand on the door, preventing it from being opened.  
“We don’t even live here…” Aranea muttered under her breath.  
“EXCUSE ME. YOU DO NOT TALK BACK TO YOUR MOTHER.”  
Aranea was dumbfounded, for she hadn’t even fucking said anything unreasonable.  
“You’re correct, I don't! I talk back to immature women who put themselves in the place of a caretaker, but actually have no real clue as to what they’re doing!” She snapped, voice like ice. Vriska quietly closed her laptop and slinked away.  
Silence filled the room.  
Okay, she may have gone a bit too far with that one.  
Aranea’s mother looked ready to explode.  
“ROOM. NOW.” She pointed to the hallway, shooting daggers. Aranea growled and stormed away, tossing her bag at the wall upon entry.  
“AND YOU CAN FORGET ABOUT GOING OUT THE REST OF THE TRIP.”  
Aranea slammed the door shut behind her, attempting to control her anger. It was no use. She snarled and muttered and paced the floor, mumbling about how unfair her mother was. That is until her cell phone buzzed from her nightstand. Right, she had one of those. She picked it up, still scowling. It was a text from her sister  
‘Holy shit’ is what it read. Aranea rolled her eyes.  
‘I suggest you stop with your sarcastic antics because I am what you youngsters would classify as “Pretty Fucking Pissed Off.”’ She responded, making sure her vocabulary was on point.  
‘Nope, I’m serious. You don’t suck as much at arguing as I thought you did.’  
‘Well, I'm glad I’ve managed to impress someone with that little scene. Anyways, I'm certainly not staying.’ Aranea typed, changing into a different outfit. Shorts, tank top, flats, socks. Much more comfortable than her previous choice.  
‘Hahahaha. I am proud to call you my blood.’ Vriska replied. Aranea raised an eyebrow.  
‘And you haven't been all this time?’ She shot in response.  
‘Whatever. Forget I said anything.’  
‘Fine. You are welcome to tag along if you like.’ Aranea offered.  
‘Oh, of course, I’m coming. Wouldn’t want an unchecked force of teen angst hitting the town on her own.’  
‘Very funny. Well, My window appears to not have a screen, so that’s how I'll be making my escape.’ She pushed the window open and hung out the side, determining how long he drop would be.  
‘Yeah, mine either. We can't leave at the same time. The house will be too quiet. You go, I'll be there soon.’  
Aranea swung her legs out and sat on the windowsill.  
‘You speak as if you've done this before.’  
‘Maybe I have, maybe I haven’t. Good thing you can't prove anything either way.’  
Aranea dropped down from the window and stood up straight, brushing herself off.  
‘If I wasn’t already sufficiently angry, I would lecture you, but I won’t.’  
‘Well don't I feel lucky now?’  
‘You should.’ Aranea was about to stuff her phone in her pocket when it buzzed once more. She groaned, not wanting the conversation to go on any longer.  
‘Hey, turn around and smile.’ Vriska had messaged. Aranea knew what her sister was doing. She looked over her shoulder and adjusted her glasses, sticking her tongue out at Vriska, who was hanging out her own window. She kept walking and turned around after she heard the sound of a picture being taken.  
‘And what was that for?’ She messaged, storming into town.  
‘Memories. Pride. My Snapchat story.’  
‘Whatever. Enjoy having the house to yourself for a bit.’  
‘Have fun doing whatever.’  
With that, the conversation was over. Now free, Aranea had an agenda. She pulled out her phone again and selected the contact ‘Meenah Peixes.’ She had changed it from ‘Fish Bitch’ near the beginning of the week.  
“What up, A.S.?” Meenah said from the other line.  
“Where are you?” Aranea replied, not skipping a beat.  
“Uh… at home? Fuck else would I be?” She sounded confused.  
“I’m coming over,” Aranea announced as-a-matter-of-factly.  
“Wait, shit, what the fresh shell?” The sound of moving sheets could be heard.  
“Did I stutter?”  
“Wh- no! It's just, wait, hold on, now?”  
“Yes, now. I’ll be there in a few minutes. Does your window have a screen?”  
“No, none in the town do- Wait a minute, slow down!”  
“Perfect. I’ll be there soon.”  
“Wait, Serk hold o-”  
But Aranea had already hung up.  
She knew the way to Meenah’s house; She had passed it many times throughout the past two weeks and was well aware of what it looked like by now.  
Aranea spotted it out from around the corner and slid behind a bush to the open backyards of the houses, making her way around the fences and over the fence belonging to the Peixes family. She scanned the windows until her eyes fell upon one left open. She squinted her eyes and peered inside; the walls were covered in a deep fuchsia and littered with various posters and wall scrolls. She pulled out her phone once more and redialed.  
“God dammit Serk, can you just tell me what the fuck is goin’ on!? You’re bein’ fuckin weird all the sudden…” Aranea heard from both her phone and the open window.  
“I’m here, let me in.”  
She watched Meenah stand up and rush to the window, looking worried, but still somehow trustful.  
“What the fuck are you doing!?” She hissed, hanging out the window, hands open. Aranea grabbed them and pulled herself up with Meenah’s help. She planted herself firmly on the floor and hurled her bag at the wall angrily. Meenah winced nervously.  
“Ok, Here’s what’s about to happen.” Aranea started, staring her dead in the face. Meenah nodded and swallowed hard.  
“I’m going to rant, and you’re going to listen. Understood?”  
Meenah had backed herself into the wall, genuinely scared. “Yes, ma’am.” She replied, just barely avoiding a voice crack.  
“Alright, first of all, I cannot even begin to explain the unfairness of these circumstances! It’s like she expects me to follow every single order she has to give when most of the time she doesn’t even care to give any! And it’s not like I know when and where she wants me, every second of the day! So forgive me if I'm not at the right place at the right time, because I wasn’t given any sort of warning!”  
Meenah had no idea what was going on, but she seemed rather upset, so she didn’t dare interrupt. She would hate to be the target of a Serket’s wrath yet again.  
“And how she plays favorites! I cannot believe that someone who calls herself a mother would do that to her own children! Nothing against Vriska, but honestly! As the eldest sibling, I should have some right to freedom!”  
She was starting to piece together why she was so worked up, but she hadn’t nearly gotten the full story yet. Meenah watched Aranea pace her bedroom floor with wide eyes, listening to her vent.  
“Additionally, it's never been a problem in the past! I never go anywhere while at home, but now, when I’m only just starting to live my life and be a teenager, she has some sort of issue! And she acts like the whole thing is a big deal, as well! It’s not like I'm doing drugs or committing murder, I'm just leaving the house for a bit! And it isn’t even our house to begin with!!”  
Aranea threw her hands up in the air, fuming, her face was a bright shade of pink, and her eyes were like daggers.  
“So the second I try to have any sort of freedom, which she had, allow me to restate: NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IN THE PAST, apparently becomes an issue to her twisted mind because, and I quote, I AM NOT SPENDING ENOUGH TIME AT HOME! And how might I have known that? I COULDN’T HAVE, BECAUSE SHE NEVER SAID ANYTHING! SO NO, MOTHER, I DON’T LIKE RESORTING TO ARGUMENTS AND PETTY INSULTS AND DISOBEDIENCE, BUT APPARENTLY I HAVE TO, AS YOU SEEM TO BE TO IMMATURE TO HAVE BASIC HUMAN KNOWLEDGE OF HOW EXCHANGES WORK!”  
Aranea raised her voice but immediately quieted down after her eruption. She froze in place and covered her mouth with her hand.  
“Oh my god, I snuck out…” She whispered, sounding horrified.  
“Serk, Aranea, tell me what happened.” Meenah urged calmly, less terrified for her life. She ignored her phone buzzing with a text notification from Feferi, likely asking what the hell was going on. Meenah let Aranea sit down on her swivel chair to gather her thoughts.  
“Start from the beginning. The fuck happened?”  
“Right, I probably should have started with that…”  
Meenah sat down on her bed.  
“So, I was about to head out. I wasn’t quite sure where I was going, but it was somewhere. My mother stopped me, telling me that I was going out too much, and needed to spend more time with her. I told her that she had never cared in the past, especially regarding my absence on the first night we were here, so why should she care now?” She sighed, catching her breath.  
“Of course, it was worded in a much more aggressive way. She didn’t take to it well, and the argument got more hostile as it continued. Eventually, it got so violent that she sent me to my room, and I snuck out because of how unreasonable she was being.”  
Meenah nodded along.  
“So.. bassically, what you’re tryna’ tell me is you verbally rekt your mom, and gave her a big case of fuck you by sneaking out?” She paraphrased. Aranea glanced to the side.  
“Yes, I suppose you could put it that way.”  
“Holy shit. That's badass.” Aranea laughed a little at the comment.  
“No, I'm serious. That’s like… damn. Latula is gonna get a kick outta that.”  
“I’m sure she will.” Aranea was much calmer now, but her voice was laced with sorrow. Meenah took note, pursing her lips.  
“You good, Serk?” She tried her luck on prodding.  
“Yes, I'm alright…” Aranea insisted. Meenah refused to bite. She had never been good with all the weird emotional stuff, but if there was any time for it to count, it would be now.  
“Don’t sound alright.”  
Aranea bit the inside of her cheek, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.  
“Look, you literally came all this way, climbed into my goddamn window, and now you’re not gonna say anything else?”  
She raised an eyebrow and eyed down the blonde skeptically. Aranea was red hot.  
“Alright, fine.” She said after what felt like hours of silence.  
“It’s just that… it doesn’t feel like me. I don't rebel, I don't disobey. It's strange, and I don't like it. Vriska seemed proud, for whatever reason, but I'm certainly not… It's stressful, to say the least. My comfort zone has always been indoors with my books, as much as I hate to admit it. It's all I've ever really known, and now that I'm leaving that comfort zone, It's so much more… eventful. These past two weeks have been amazing; I don't doubt that for a second. You have become one of the best friends I've ever had, and think I'll ever have in the future. I’m proud to say that I'm a better and more courageous person because of meeting you and the others, but I have reason to believe that that courage has… changed me… in ways that I may not have anticipated.”  
Aranea spoke with such diligence and care that Meenah could not help but let herself be captivated in her speech. She found herself entranced by the way she wove words together to form what sounded like a story, but quickly lost interest when Aranea began to talk about her friends, though she was unsure why. She brushed it off as just a nervous or worried tick.  
“Well,” She cleared her throat, snapping back to reality. “Since you’re already out, why not come cliff diving with us?” Meenah suggested. “Kankri convinced me to invite literally everyone and their fucking uncle, because ‘leaving one of our companions out of the gathering would leave them feeling excluded, bluh bluh bluh, other boring shit or water-ver.’” She mocked Kankri when she spoke, straightening her posture and turning her nose up.  
“I was gonna text you when we left, but I mean, you're kinda… here.” She returned to normal.  
“Well, I certainly have nothing better to do. I’ll ask Vriska to bring both of our bathing suits when she leaves.” Aranea lightened up a little, giving Meenah some satisfaction after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> deadlines are for PUSSIES and sleep is for the WEAK!
> 
> //something to tide the lovely readers over until tomorrows update, which i promise will be a fuckin' doozie.

**Author's Note:**

> So, yeah. guess what I'm NOT doing? if you guessed writing the demonstuck x readers, yeah, you're right. I may have lost the drafts of the unfinished ones, and just kinda walked away in shame. 
> 
> Not totally sure if I'm gonna finish them or not. outlook is currently not so good, but we'll have to see.
> 
> in other news, this fic is gonna be kinda slow burn, but not really, because I'm a pretty shit writer.   
> I think that about covers everything. see you next chapter!


End file.
